Taylor, Tom (1817‒1880)

Taylor, Tom, a noted playwright and journalist, born at Sunderland;
was elected to a Fellowship at Cambridge, for two years filled the chair
of English Literature at University College, London; in 1845 was called
to the bar, but shortly afterwards took to journalism, writing leaders
for the Morning Chronicle and Daily News; during 1850-1872 held
secretarial appointments to the Board of Health and in the Local
Government Act Office; succeeded Shirley Brooks as editor of Punch in
1874; was throughout his life a prolific writer and adapter of plays,
staging upwards of 100 pieces, of which the best known are “To Parents
and Guardians,” “Still Waters Run Deep,” “Our American Cousin,”
“Ticket-of-Leave Man,” etc. (1817‒1880).